'
As by this time, I had been advised to try the waters of Aix, I wrote
to the gentleman my design, and that I would go off my road as far as
Nismes, under the pretext of seeing the antiquities of that place, if
he would meet me there. He met me, and the following is the sum of the
information I received from him. 'Brazil contains as many inhabitants
as Portugal. They are, 1. Portuguese. 2. Native whites. 3. Black and
mulatto slaves. 4. Indians, civilized and savage. 1. The Portuguese are
few in number, mostly married there, have lost sight of their native
country, as well as the prospect of returning to it, and are disposed to
become independent. 2. The native whites form the body of their nation.
3. The slaves are as numerous as the free. 4. The civilized Indians have
no energy, and the savage would not meddle. There are twenty thousand
regular troops. Originally these were Portuguese. But as they died off,
they were replaced by natives, so that these compose at present the
mass of the troops, and may be counted on by their native country. The
officers are partly Portuguese, partly Brazilians: their bravery is not
doubted, and they understand the parade, but not the science of their
profession.
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